


Stars of Purgatory

by p0stScriptum



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angels, Demons, Downworlders, F/M, Future Fic, Lack of Canon Characters, M/M, Oh it's gonna get worse, Parabatai Bond, Work In Progress, apocalyptic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-07 18:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5466689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/p0stScriptum/pseuds/p0stScriptum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Welcome to the future. The Accords are broken. The Shadow World is no longer hidden in the shadows. Downworlders wage war on shadowhunters and mundanes. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us, a plot in Heaven threatens to change everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stars of Purgatory

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set in the future! Also, it is labeled as an Alternate Universe, so I am exercising the right to do whatever I want with this story. Basically, I'm playing in the Shadowhunter Chronicles' sandbox and using and/or changing whatever to suit my needs.

Curfew begins at seven o’clock.

There was a time when Manhattan lit up at night, flushing with night life, but that time has long gone past. Nowadays, as the sun begins to set, the streets become barren and people hide inside their locked houses with the windows boarded up. Only a few brave souls linger in the streets at night after curfew. The shadowhunters start their patrols at seven o’clock because the monsters like to come out and play in the dark.

Manhattan has many established safe-zones and is considered far better off than Brooklyn. Still, the night hours are dangerous even within the protected areas.

It was late in the night now when twenty-two year old Connor Stormwall, patrolling the Manhattan streets with his best friend, Vincenzo, heard a woman’s terrified scream. Connor spared only a glance towards Vincenzo, whose dark hazel eyes reflected the same intent as Connor’s own, before they teared off together in the direction of the scream.

A young woman was crouched low on the dirty ground inside an alley, arms held up protectively to shield herself, screeching helplessly as a dark form descended upon her.

“Enzo!” shouted Connor as he notched an arrow.

His partner grabbed the demon and physically threw it away from the screeching woman. The demon hit the alley wall and fell to the ground. It lifted its head slowly, revealing a grin full of sharp teeth. Connor watched as its relatively human-looking face blurred, distorting until it reverted back into a monstrous countenance.

That grinning mouth full of shark-teeth opened. “Shadowhunter,” the demon hissed, sounding not at all surprised.

Connor lifted his bow. “Say hello to all your demon friends in Hell for me,” he said and let his arrow fly. It embedded between the demon’s eyes and the demon crumpled.

Threat neutralized, he turned to where Vincenzo was trying to get the woman up off the dirty ground. She was blubbering, shaking her head and shrugging off Vincenzo’s hands in favor of trying to crouch into a ball as if to hide from the world. Vincenzo was so far attempting to be patient with her, but Connor knew his friend well enough to know that Vincenzo’s temper would flare if the woman’s uncooperative behavior continued. Connor slung his bow over his shoulder and approached the spectacle.

“Ma’am,” he said, crouching next to her. She blubbered on. “Ma’am! We don’t have all night to sit around in this alley with you.”

“No, no, no,” she desperately moaned into her hands.

Vincenzo growled. “Well, fine then. If you want stay here and get devoured by the next monster that comes along, then stay.”

Connor sent his friend a reproachful look. Vincenzo glared and crossed his arms with a huff, turning away to glare across the alley in frustration.

“We can escort you home,” Connor offered to the woman. Her moans had subsided into soft crying. “Ma’am, please,” he said kindly,” we can escort you home but we cannot stay.”

“Please,” she choked out between her fingers.

“We’ll take you home. Come on.” He touched her gently, carefully. “Let’s get you on your feet.”

Slowly, the woman unfurled and let Connor help her stand. She was missing a shoe and her clothes were torn and frayed. Obviously she’d been running from that demon for quite a while tonight, doing her best to get away. Connor and Vincenzo escorted the woman to her apartment building. She clung to Connor’s side the entire journey and he allowed her to do so without complaint. If she drew comfort from his presence then so be it. He could hardly say no as long as she cooperated.

Vincenzo at least found some humor in Connor’s misfortune. “What would Elle think,” he teased, cultured voice light as they resumed their patrol, “if she knew you had another girl hanging off your arm?”

“I’d fear more for the mundane’s safety than my own,” Connor replied.

Vincenzo barked a laugh. “True.”

Connor glanced up at the sky. The moon shone brightly down on Manhattan, large and round, just a few slivers shy of being full. He checked his watch, which read 11:59.

“We should head back,” he announced. “Travis and his gang will be approaching the area soon.”

He ignored Vincenzo’s muttered response.

“Come on. We can probably still fit in a movie if–”

A bright light flashed in the sky, cutting off Connor’s words. He looked up. The sky had suddenly become dark and cloudy, all stars and even the moon blocked out by rolling thunderclouds. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed so loud in Connor’s ears that all sound was momentarily muted. Then he saw it – a bright mass falling from the sky like a meteor but brighter. Like a falling star.

Falling straight over Manhattan.

He didn’t need to speak or look at Vincenzo. By an unspoken mutual decision, they took off after the falling light together.

 

The light slowed its descent as it neared the Earth.

Connor and Vincenzo moved quickly through the streets of Manhattan, tracking the lights’ decent. By the time they reached it, the falling light was merely a few ten feet above the ground. The mass that had seemed so huge before was now small. It had dimmed considerably but still gleamed with a pale white glow, illuminating the human-like figure within the light like a halo.

It fell as if it were sinking through water instead of air. The distance lessened. Ten feet. Eight feet. Connor acted without thinking, moving to stand underneath it.

The glowing figure was warm. Not hot like fire, but warm and soothing. Connor felt like he was being bathed in sunlight as the human-shaped form settled gently into his arms. Then the light receded, the glow lessened, until all that remained was a naked body.

Connor stared in wonder at the body in his arms that was obviously male. His eyes scanned the expanse of tan skin, smooth and flawless save for the pale scar that cut across a naked chest. Connor came to the conclusion that this being was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Dark wavy hair of rich brown, slightly curling. A lovely young face. Long, thick lashes. Delicately drawn nose. The shape of his lips, the line of his jaw, even the curve of his throat was clean and perfect. Though glowing no more, the being’s beauty was so fine that it cast the drab streets of Manhattan into high relief, putting all surroundings to shame.

 _This being cannot be human,_ Connor thought.

He tore his gaze away to search for Vincenzo, only to find his friend standing close by, staring in awe at the being in Connor’s arms.

“Enzo.”

Vincenzo blinked and awareness seemed to return to him. Rather than speak, Vincenzo immediately removed his coat and draped it over the being’s naked body.

“This is a matter for the Institute,” Connor said as he realized it. “Mary will know what to do.”

Vincenzo nodded mutely.

Connor took in the dark street around them, the chilly night air, and then the being in his arms again. “But the Institute is far away,” he observed. It would be dangerous to travel such a distance at night, especially while Connor was carrying an unconscious body. The possibility of running into Travis’ gang was especially daunting.

“The apartment is close by,” said Vincenzo.

That was true.

“Alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *evil cackling*
> 
> Who do you think the being from the sky is?


End file.
